TV-radio notebook: Tale from the gridiron launches college season

TV-RADIO NOTEBOOK

By David Barron |
September 1, 2006

There are times when I am firmly convinced that newscasters and sportscasters, with an eye toward scarfing up future free meals as banquet toastmasters, deliberately put themselves in harm's way so they can store up stories for a sunny day.

Stone noted that he, like new Rice coach Todd Graham, attended East Central State in Ada, Okla.

As the only non-indicted male member of his high school graduating class, Stone said, he obtained a college scholarship to the aforementioned East Central. He said he was determined to play for the Tigers' football team and went on — at some length, I might add — to describe his superior physical conditioning as he prepared for the first day of fall practice.

He survived the first day of drills, but on day two, he said, he was waylaid by an errant teammate named Dick Coley.

"We were walking through a non-contact drill when all of a sudden, from the corner of my eye, I see Dick Coley running at me," Stone said. "He breaks my leg, and as he is lying on top of me, I swear to God, he says, 'I'm sorry, man. I've got a hell of a hangover.'

"And I have never been in shape since," Stone concluded.

With that poignant tale, we launch our way into the 2006 college football season, which for local viewers begins in earnest Saturday with North Texas-Texas at 11 a.m. on FSNH and Houston-Rice from Rice Stadium at 8 p.m. on CSTV. UT fans can gear up for next weekend's game against Ohio State by watching the Buckeyes dismantle Northern Illinois on KTRK (Ch. 13).

Dave Lapham, Meyers' regular partner, will miss the Texas game because he'll be calling a Bengals-Colts exhibition game tonight in Indianapolis. He'll work FSN's Louisiana Tech-Nebraska game on Saturday afternoon, then fly to Waco for the TCU-Baylor game with Meyers on Sunday.

If that's not sufficient, ESPN's family of networks has 25 games between Thursday night and Monday night. In addition to the networks listed in Thursday's football section, Big 12 and Pac-10 football returns on TBS, beginning with a UAB-Oklahoma/BYU-Arizona doubleheader Saturday, and OLN has eight Mountain West games, beginning next week with Texas Tech at TCU.

Four DVRs, no waiting

Football trumped television on Houston TV on Sunday night. The Texans-Broncos game had a 16.3 Nielsen rating and 23 share on KTRK (Ch. 13) to 11.1/16 for the Emmy Awards on KPRC (Ch. 2). ...

KPRC sports director Randy McIlvoy on Sept. 8 will unveil Friday Night Frenzy, a weekly high school roundup from 10:15 to 10:35 p.m. McIlvoy will host from the game of the week site, and Channel 2 newscasts throughout the day will include features on the competing schools. ...

Since I heaped abuse upon you for Houston's paltry 4.6/9 Nielsen rating/share for the final round of the PGA Championship, it bears noting that one reason for the low rating is that an Astros game at the same time rated 5.3/10 on KNWS (Ch. 51). ...

TBS analyst Charles Davis and former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez will join Thom Brennaman on Fox Sports' inaugural BCS broadcast team. ... FSN sideline reporter Jim Knox hosts Horns Gameday, a University of Texas pregame show produced by Television 1 of Austin that will air in Houston on KNWS (Ch. 51) beginning with the premiere at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. ...

Eye of the Storm, at 8 p.m. Sunday on FSN Houston, examines how the LSU football team coped with Hurricane Katrina-related dislocations during the 2005 season. ... In addition to the normal local outlets, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech games will air this season on Sirius satellite radio. ...

Brad Davies and Carl Dukes have signed on as regular contributors to Craig Roberts' Sports Off Center, which airs at 10:30 p.m. today on KTBU (Ch. 55). ... Cinco Ranch, which defeated Cypress Ridge 10-6 on Thursday night, will join Todd Freed for High School Sports Live at 6 p.m. Saturday on Channel 55. ... Barry Warner joins Greg Lucas for Houston Sport Beat at 12:30 p.m. today on FSNH.